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November 09, 2026US EMPLOYMENT, OCTOBER 2026 Monthly change (October 2026 vs September 2026, seasonally adjusted)
US non-farm payroll employment increased 165,000 in October 2026, rising to 159.3 million persons.
The increase of 165,000 US nonfarm payroll employment was stronger than the revised gain of 60,000 reported for September 2026.
The US unemployment rate edged down 0.1 percentage point to 4.1% in October 2026. The US unemployment rate has remained at or above 4% since June 2024.
The US participation rate increased 0.1 percentage points to 61.9% in October 2026. The US participation rate had stabilized below levels observed prior to the pandemic and declined since the end of 2025 until mid 2026. The participation rate has begun to recover in recent months.
The US employment to population ratio increased 0.1 percentage points to 59.3% in October 2026. As with the participation rate, the US employment rate remains below pre-pandemic levels and declined slightly since mid-2023. The US employment rate has been rising gradually in recent months.
Note: Data for October 2025 were not collected due to the federal government shutdown.
Note: Canadian and US labour force statistics refer to different working-age cohorts.
Sources: US Bureau of Labor Statistics retrieved from Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis; Statistics Canada. Table 14-10-0287-01 Labour force characteristics, monthly, seasonally adjusted and trend-cycle